WELCOME TO PROVIDENCE BIBLE FELLOWSHIP
Welcome to Providence Bible Fellowship! We are a community of believers dedicated to spreading the grace and truth of Christ. Here, you will find passionate, biblical preaching, engaging and rich worship, and opportunities to grow in your faith. Join us as we journey together in God's grace and mercy.
JOIN OUR FAITH FAMILY
Looking for a church home? Join our family of faith at Providence Bible Fellowship. Together, we support and encourage one another in our spiritual growth and walk with God.
Come and experience the joy of our community.
Join us on Sundays at 10 AM
Mesa Christian Academy
7918 E. 1st Ave.
Mesa, AZ 85208
WE WORSHIP TOGETHER
The idea that local churches are to gather together in order to corporately worship God is important; but the principal matter here is how Christians are to worship. Does it matter what elements of worship take place within the church? Are Christians permitted to worship God however they see fit, so long as their hearts are in the right place? Does God care about how His people come before Him in worship?
​
Theologian Ligon Duncan argues that God certainly does care about how His people worship Him! Further, Duncan asserts that God has provided all the resources needed for worship within the pages of Scripture. He writes, “God’s Word itself must supply the principles and patterns and content for Christian worship. True Christian worship is by the book." This idea is generally referred to as the regulative principle of worship.
​
The easiest way summarize the principle is to say that local churches ought to read the Bible, preach the Bible, pray the Bible, sing the Bible, and see the Bible.
READ
THE
BIBLE
The Apostle Paul implored his protégé Timothy, “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching” (1 Timothy 4:13). Churches should want the Bible to take center stage in the worship of the church because when the Bible is read, the voice of God is heard. Theologians Ligon Duncan and Terry Johnson explain, “Worship services in which the formal reading of God’s word is absent is a self-imposed famine of the word”. According to Johnson and Duncan, scriptural reading is not an option, but is precisely what God calls for in His Word.
PREACH
THE
BIBLE
Faithful Bible exposition should be at the center of Christian worship. While the landscape of American Evangelicalism would lead you to believe that music style and presentation is of the greatest importance, Dr. Albert Mohler agrees with the Reformers who “were convinced that the heart of true biblical worship was the preaching of the word of God”. Mohler defines expositional preaching as “preaching that takes as its central purpose the presentation and application of the text of the Bible”. This point is so vital to Christian worship because, as Mohler puts it, “God is most beautifully praised when his people hear his word, love his word, and obey his word”.
PRAY
THE
BIBLE
Prayer, both private and corporate, has been an aspect of biblical worship throughout the history of God’s people. While worship is about hearing from God through His Word, worship also entails calling out to God in prayer. Daniel Block explains how “prayer is essentially a verbal act of faith” as one is trusting that God hears and acts upon their prayers. Tracing a canonical picture of prayer, one can see examples of the various types of prayers given by different people. Each time, similar patterns emerge as trust in God and His provision is expressed. Prayer is a way that one not only makes requests but also confesses sin, delivers thanksgiving, and learns to align ones will with God's will. Prayers filled with biblical language are good ways to learn more about God, teach truths about God, but also to help filter our own thoughts and prayers by what God has given to His people.
SING
THE
BIBLE
Music has always been an important aspect in the worship of God. When God led His people out of the bondage of Egypt their response was to worship Him through song (Exodus 15). Music has the distinct ability to inspire hope, motivate love, and energize ones faith. However, when Israel sinned by creating a false god, they also worshiped the idol through song (Exodus 32). Music can be used for good but also for evil. Music was used at the dedication of the temple, Jesus sang with His disciples, and Paul and Silas sang out to God while in a jail cell.
​
The question is, “How can Christians use music appropriately?” Our music must show our submission to God, our response to His goodness, and the centrality of Christ and the cross. When our music become a means to glorify God and not simply a way for individuals to “feel good”, we will begin to enhance our worship and use music correctly. Our music must be chosen wisely and with biblical warrant. Even our music is to be under the authority of the Bible.
SEE
THE
BIBLE
One can “see” the Bible through the proper use of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is a symbol of unity between the believer and Christ. Congregations should celebrate the baptism of individuals and use that time as a reminder of what Christ has done for everyone who belongs to Him. Likewise, churches should regularly participate in the Lord’s Supper as a vital aspect of corporate worship directly commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ. These two ordinances are essential to our worship.
SERVICE TIMES
Sunday Morning Worship 10am
At Mesa Christian Academy
7918 E. 1st Ave. Mesa, AZ 85208